WE read in the holy scriptures, that great kingdomes and princely Cities for their sinnes haue beene altered and brought vnder the gouernement of strange nati­ons: and that many townes for their wickednesse haue béene punished, and brought in subiection: and Christ sayth, that we neuer know him but when wee are visited with some affliction. I find by right calculation, that this yeare of our Lorde 1598. according to the meridian of the towne of Deuentre, and other places lying vnder 52. degrées and 40. minutes, and after the olde stile beginneth vpon the 10. of March, and according to the new stile vpon the 20. of March in the afternoone, a little after 12. of the clocke, when the sunne entreth into Aries, at which time it standeth in the middle of the element, and then night and day through all the worlde are all of one length, and as Ouid saith, noua temporisaetas, then the Sunne by his heat openeth the earth, and reuiueth it, which by the cold of the Winter season was deade and withered, making grasse, trées, and all thinges else so fayre and gréene, that it ma­keth all creatures liuing to reioyce, and therevpon all learned men are of opinion, that this time of the year, the world heauen, and earth, and all the creatures therein were created, and many wonderfull workes of God performed therein as the deliuery of the children of Israel out of Aegipt, the conception of the Virgin Mary, and after that his passion, death, and resurrection vpon the same day. I find Saturne ascendent Eastwarde in the 24. degrée of Sagittarius in the second house, Iupiter in the 2. degrée [Page]of Cancer, in the 8. house, Mars in the 4. degrée of Taurus & the 6. house, the Sunne in the first degrée of Aries, and the 4. house, Venus in the thirde degrée of Aries and the 4. house hard by the Sunne, Mercury in Pisces, the Moone in the 11. degrée of Pisces, and the 4. house, the Dragous heade in the first degrée of Gemini in the seuenth house, and so beginneth this year 1598. whereby we plainely sée, that the Moone and Mercury are Lords of the yeare, and Mars assistant, and are both founde in a wate­ry signe. The rest of the planets for the most parte are weake and badly plac'st, wherevpon we must grounde our iudgement, and procéede accordingly, making the situation and coniunction of euery Planet, whereby it is found, that this shall bee none of the best yeares, for that the effects of the yeares 95.96. and 97. do yet continue, whereby I iudge, that this yeare many craftie and secreat enterprises will bee wrought both by water and by land, and that there is a speciall matter pretended, which will be to the ouerthrow and aduancement of diuers persons, whereby certayne prouinces shall bee brought into extreame misery and desolation, specially such countries as lie vnder Cancer, and her quadrangle, as Brabant, Flanders, Fraunce, and the prouin­ces bordering vppon it. Ciprianus Leouitius saith touching the reuolution of this yeare, that it threatneth vs with much rayne, great sicknesse, and bloudy and cruell warres, as also that cer­taine Princes and great men both spirituall and temporall shalbe ouerthrowne and cast in prison, whereby much misery and grie­uous alterations shall happen among the common people: for that in this reuolution of the world the effect of two eclipses, one of the Sunne, the other of the Moone shall happen. Wherefore I counsell all good Christians to be watchfull, that these thinges come not sodainly vppon them, and so I will ende this Chapter with the wordes of Dauid.

FOr that mans nature is addicted to hear and sée strange thinges, I haue here set downe the signification of the heauenly influences of this yeare 1598. which I write to giue cause of watchfulnesse to carelesse men: I find by the right calcu­lation of the prouincial figure, that loue­ly Venus, coupeled with Iupiter and Mercurie, signifieth good fortune to Venus children, women, yong maides, and all swéete Venus dearlinges, which gladly take all that is giuen them, they shall haue good fortune by gifts, presentes, Iewelles, apparell, and other toyes, which if they haue not it will be great griefe vnto them. I finde the Planet Venus well placed in Aquarius, which signifieth great fauour to all women in generall, as well spiritual as temporal: women shall by nature flourish, and be loftie, they shall be much beloued, and diuers that are of meane parentage and degrée, shall by ma­riage rise and be preferred to high estate, but some of them must take care that when they are at the highest, that they kéep them­selues at that stay: such proude & lordly women, that often stum­ble at a straw, and are soone troden vpon the toes, which alway sing the vnpleasant song, they shall cause great sorrow and grief vnto their husbands by chiding and contention, for that a woman which chideth without reason, doth often driue her husbande out of dores, whereby shall arise strife, hartes griefe, mour­ning, and other misfortunes. I finde Mars and Venus in con­iunction. Dabit incestas, libidines, fornicationes, adulteria, coniunctiones virorum ac mulierum horrendas & abomi­nandas. In the last part of the yeare I find there will bée great deceit and vntruth among men, whom women and maides shall [Page]féede with fayre wordes, and pay them with the like, standing much vpon their credites and reputations, also I find the Planet Venus to bee retrograde, which signifieth great quarrels and contentions with such as men haue made of their secreat coun­sels, where vpon shall follow griefe, sorrow, and diuers diseases. You shall likewise heare of great strife betwéene men and their wiues, whereby controuersie will arise, so that many weddinges shall be holden, where there wil be no musicke, and where the Lorde or rulers of the land shall be betrayed. I find also in the prouinciall figure, that Iupiter is eleuated aboue Venus, which signifieth that womens nature is alwayes desirous of pleasure, for they are the mother of our generation: They shall also bee fortunate in childbearing, and are worthy of honour in all places. The quadrangle of Mars and Venus bringeth no good tydinges to olde men, and others that vse many women, for they shall bée bitten and not hurt, euery man looke to himselfe and be careful.

WE are al greatly to prayse the Lord, that he hath giuen vs the right knowledge of A­stronomie, and made vs know the nature of Eclipses, to shew causas, rationes & demonstrationes, and when the Sunne and Moone are eclipsed, diuers coniuncti­ons of the vppermost Planets are openly séene, (which neuer fayleth) as you may read in the books of anci­ent Astronomers, as also in writings. I find that in this yeare 1598. we shall haue thrée Eclipses, one of the Sunne, and two of the Moone: the first Eclipse of the Moone will bee séene here in our meridian and Pole, being vnder 52. degrées and 40. mi­nutes [Page]in the Towne of Deuentre and other places bordering on the same, vpon the 12. of Februarie at 6. of the clocke and 34. minutes in the morning, in the third degrée and 3. minutes of Virgo, not farre from the Dragons tayle, and will beginne to be eclipsed at 4. of the clocke and 24. minutes, and in the mor­ning end at 8. of the clocke 14. minutes: we of Deuentre and the low countries shall sée the beginning and the middle, but not the end thereof: the effect and working of this first Eclipse shal continue a whole yeare. The second Eclipse shall be of the Sun, and shalbe séene vpon the 25. of Februarie (Stilo antiquo) some­what before 10. of the clocke, and (Stilo nouo) vppon the 7. of March before 10. of the clocke and 48. minutes, and shal be 8. points great, in the 17. degrée and 14. minutes of Pisces, not farre from the Dragons head, it shall beginne to darken at 9. of the clocke, and 50. minutes before noone, and end at 11. and 46 minutes. This Eclipse shall take effect the 17. of July 1598. and end the 22. of Iune 1600. The third Eclipse shalbe of the Moone, which shall be séene vpon the 6. of August, and after the new stile the 16. of August, at 7. of the clocke and 35. minutes after noone: the colour thereof shall be blacke, mixed with some redde, in the 23. degrée and 29. minutes of Aquarius, not farre from the Dragons head, and shal begin to darken in the euening at 5. of the clocke and 51. minutes, and end the same euening at 9. of the clocke: we of the Netherlandes shall not sée the begin­ning thereof, but onely the middle and the end. Luna enim to­ta tenebrosa ab Horzionte nostro ortiuo emerget. This E­clipse shal take effect the 24. of August (Stilo antiquo) and ende on the fift of December 1598. The Arabian and Chalde­an Astronomers say, that one Eclipse of the Sun is worse then 6. Eclipses of the Moone, specially when they happen in one month, as now they doe. Vno mense subit tenebras cum Lum vterum que, Tunc gemina causa tristia fata ferunt. We haue this yeare likewise diuers coniunctions and aspects of Pla­nets, which signifie much warres, troubles, mutinies, bloodshed­dinges, and secret practises in the low Countries, and those that lie West southwest from it. The countries and kingdoms that lye Eastward towardes the rising of the Sunne, and vnder A­ries, [Page]Cancer, Leo and Scorpion, shalbe vexed with wars, blood-sheddings, and secret practises, which are Grecia, Turkie, Mus­couia, Swethland, Russia, Walachia, and certaine countries in the Mediterranean sea, as Marsellus, the Prouince of Langue­doc, Gascony, Dauphine, Fraunce, England, Hungary, Bo­hemia, Austria, Crabuten, Corinthia, Vianne, Seuenbergen, and such as are contributary to the Turke, the people thereof shalbe spoyled, & brought into great miseries (as Leouitius saith) In the yeares 1544. 48. and 49. in which there appeared di­uers Eclipses in Scorpion, the Turkes and other Christians that had fallen from the fayth of Christ had a great ouerthrowe by the mightie king of Persia, as Historiographers do witnesse. Also the Emperours Maximilian and Rodulphus, with other mightie Princes, as Sigismund Bathorius in Transiluania, and diuers princes and Lordes that haue rebelled against the Turke, with other Princes and Lordes by Gods helpe for certain years haue had great fortunes and victories against our auncient ene­my the Turke: so shall the Christian princes by Gods power, as y^e chief of al princes haue much more good fortune and aduance­ment against the Turke and Sarrasens, so they follow it, as the olde verse sayth, Fronte capillata post est occasio calua: We may sit at a table and yet eate no meate, and so the good fortune that God sendeth vs may be neglected, if wee follow it not, and for that in the yeare 1584. it was the fiery Triangle, and that the Turkes Empire began in the watry Triangle, so his Em­pyre shall decay and bee ouerthrowne in the fierie Trigonis or Triangle, which decay hath begunne now within fewe yeares vnder the fiery Triangle, as in the yeares 1595. 96. and 97. it hath well béene seene, but the greatest fall and hardest pinch that the kingdome of Mahomet shall indure, according to my iudge­ment shall be in the yeares 1603. or 1607. and then in an. 1610 it shal be wholly ouerthrowne. Such prophesies certaine of the Turkes themselues do write, which they do much feare, and are grieued thereat, for in the said prophesies it is euidently said, that the Citie of Constantinople shal not continue aboue 150. years in his authoritie, neyther yet their religion aboue 1000. years, As also that there shal not be aboue 14. Emperours of Turkey, [Page]that are of Ottomans race, and then it shall decay and be whol­ly ouerthrowne, which if it happen all Christendome hath cause to reioyce. The Citie of Constantinople was taken from the Christians by the Turke in anno 1453. and Mahomets false religion began among the Turkes in an. 613. now if you adde 150, to 1453. which is the yeare of the winning of Constan­tinople by the Turkes, and 613. to 1598. to sée when it ma­keth 1000. yeares for the continuance of Mahomets law, they will fall out in an. 1603. and 1613. and the Turke that now is called Mahomet the thirde is the 14. Emperour of the race of Ottoman, as all Histories do witnes, touching that which hath béene written by Iohn Lichtenberg, Martin Snellenbergh, and specially by Iohn Hilten a learned Fryer of Eisanach, that when we shall write 1600. the Turke by that time shall haue run through al Germany, but wherevpon they write if I know not, vnlesse I be otherwise instructed: Wherewith I will end this Chapter with the wordes of Martin Luther, Lord God we beséech thée help vs, not for that the heauens and course of the planets do threaten vs with many miseries, but because the sub­tiltie of the Diuell at this day doth créepe and enter into all cor­ners of the earth, and séeketh to destroy vs. Lorde bee mercifull vnto vs. Amen.

HAuing considered the constitution of y^e 6 house and the Lords of the same, from whence and from the coniunction of the Moone we make our iudgement of sick­nesses, I finde Saturne to bee Lorde of the 6. house in the Ram, which signifi­eth new diseases in the head, omnia ge­nera apoplexiae, cathares, paynes in the hart & breast, laskes, red melisoen, burning feauers, pestilen­ces, agues, yellow and blacke Iandis. The yeare shalbe indiffe­rent [Page]fruitful of all kind of corne, as Rye, Barley, Wheat, Oats, Pease and Beans, but fruit vpon trées because Venus is found to bee retrograde, shall indure some hurt, for by reason of the quadrangle of Mars, they shalbe hindred in their growth: Oyle, Hony, Hops and Flaxe shalbe scant, but Wine will be good and great plentie: The Sommer season shalbe cold and moyst with strong winds, whereby Bees, Shéepe, and fruites of the earth shall indure much hurt: all fourefooted beastes shalbe profitable and giue good increase, Butter, Chéese and Bacon in great plen­tie, and an indifferent yeare of Acornes. There wil be no want of fruites, but rather want of amendment in men, for that wic­kednes dayly increaseth more and more, and we giue our minds rather to beastly cruelties, then loue and Christian humanity.